We would like to welcome the newest addition to our team. In honor of this we would like to offer all our patients a one hour acupunture session for $45!Come on in and meet Jenny.

​Jennifer graduated with a Masters of Science and Acupuncture degree in 2017 from the Colorado School for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Denver, CO. This consisted of 2,295 hours of classroom learning combined with clinical practice. Some of her studies included Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, biosciences, pharmacology, nutrition, treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and Western diagnosis and treatment. She is a diplomate of the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture. She specializes in the treatment of pain and emotional disorders as well as digestive issues, and is dedicated to helping people feel their best. Jennifer became interested in Chinese medicine while residing in Austin, TX. She was treated to quit smoking and was amazed at the results, so began her journey into acupuncture school. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending time with family, and being in nature as much as possible- snowboarding in the winter and hiking, camping, and bicycling in the warmer weather.

​Using calendula flowers, you can make your own healing salve with this easy recipe. Beeswax acts as a preservative, giving this salve a shelf life of about six months. After that time, it will develop a rancid odor letting you know it's shelf life has expired. Store the salve in an airtight container, in a cool dry place, away from heat or direct light, especially sunlight.

Ingredients

2 oz Calendula Flowers + 1 cup Olive Oil

1 oz shaved beeswax (or beeswax pastilles)

​Instructions

Put the flowers and oil in a small stainless steel, glass, or ceramic pot and place a thermometer into the mixture.

Heat to 120 degrees F and "cook" at this temp for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Strain the oil.

Put the fixed oil into a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic pot; add the shaved beeswax. Warm until wax melts.

Test consistency with a metal spoon: Dip the spoon in mixture and place into freezer for 3-5 minutes. Add either more beeswax or oil if needed to reach desired consistency.

Put into an airtight container; allow to cool and harden completely before moving into storage.

Label and date the salve.

Additional Tips

Adding a few drops of Vitamin E oil will help preserve the salve, increasing its shelf-life.

If, after being in the freezer, the salve is too hard to spread easily on the skin and be absorbed, add more oil. If the salve comes out softer or too liquidy, add more beeswax. Hardness or softness of the salve is both a personal preference and relevant to the purposes intended for the final product (e.g., on rough elbows you may want a harder salve. For diaper rash, you may want a softer product).

]]>Mon, 29 Oct 2018 20:33:13 GMThttp://www.cameronlifespa.com/events-and-news/when-the-skin-errupts-healing-eczema-and-psoriasis​When those painful, itchy patches of eczema and psoriasis erupt, doctors of natural medicine ask, 'what is causing this condition to present at this time?' The Greek translation of eczema means "to boil out," so the question makes sense: holistic physicians look for the underlying root causes that bring about these skin eruptions. Although they create similar discomforts for the people afflicted, psoriasis and eczema are different in important ways.

​Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that results in an overproduction of skin cells. As the dead skin cells build-up, they form thick, scaly white patches that are visible on the skin's surface. The skin itches terribly and is inflamed.Eczema (aka atopic dermatitis) also can be chronic, but it tends to come and go in response to certain triggers (e.g., weather changes, irritating cosmetics, or an allergic reaction). Eczema is common in infants and children, and may even go dormant for a time. Some people, however, suffer terribly throughout their lifetime. When eczema is active, skin is inflamed, dry, peeling and may blister.From the natural medicine perspective, root causes of eczema and psoriasis include:

Conventional treatment plans typically use steroids to simply manage symptoms (i.e., itching); however, there are harmful side effects, such as suppressing overall immunity, that must be considered. Natural therapies, on the other hand, work to correct the underlying imbalance that caused the body to react in the first place, offering relief without the unwanted side effects of steroid treatments. One or more of the following natural therapies may be part of an individualized holistic treatment plan:

Increase intake of Essential Fatty Acids, which are important to skin health

Provide support for mental/emotional stress

Identify and minimize toxin exposure

Support liver function, the body's detox organ

Additionally, to temporarily soothe symptoms, holistic physicians may recommend nourishing the skin with herbal salves and essential oil baths specific to individual needs. Some common botanical ingredients are calendula, lavender, chamomile, rose, Manuka honey, tea tree, among many others.Psoriasis and Eczema can quickly become chronic and severe and the wrong treatments can make things far worse. Consult with a holistic health practitioner to identify the appropriate therapies for you or your loved one.

We would like to welcome our newest member of the team.Bryan is a graduate of Myotherapy College of Utah with over 12 years of experience. His massage practice specializes in Russian therapeutic massage, and energy work. Bryan is also a Herbalist and has recently opened a local Herbal Apothecary.

In a small pot, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil, nut butter, and cocoa powder over low to medium heat. Whisk for a couple minutes until all the coconut oil is melted and remove from heat.

Dip strawberries into the chocolate mixture, coating most of the strawberry. Place onto a plate lined with parchment paper or on a wire rack. Repeat for the rest and sprinkle with coconut. Chill in the fridge to set.

If making the pink frosting: with a mini food processor, combine the icing sugar, strawberry, and jam until smooth. You may need to add a bit more icing sugar depending on the consistency of your jam. If you don’t have a mini processor I suggest not using the whole strawberry and just mixing in a bit more jam into the icing sugar until the right consistency is achieved.

Spoon the frosting into a baggie and snip off the end. Pipe frosting onto the strawberries and place back in the fridge until firm.

Contains essential oils with aromatherapy properties. You can combine scents to relax, soothe, energize, or create a romantic mood.

The following was taken from the website: Homemadegiftsmadeeasy.com

"Homemade Body Scrubs 101: The basic ingredients""All body scrubs, even ones you buy in the store, contain just three primary ingredients:Homemade body scrubs are really easy to make. Whether you want to make them for yourself, or as gifts for your girlfriends or relatives, this page will show you how. I’ll cover how to make sugar scrubs, salt scrubs, oatmeal scrubs, coffee scrubs, and more.

1. An ExfoliantBasically a gritty substance of some sort. Sugar and salt are the most common, and have the benefit that they dissolve in water so they don’t leave any mess in your bathtub.Salt is great for relaxing your muscles. Some people prefer to use sea salt, because it is less processed than table salt, contains a wider variety of trace elements and minerals, and is said to be kinder on the skin. Personally I’ve tried sea salts, table salt, and epsom salts, and found all of them to be fine. Your mileage may vary depending on your skin type (mine is fairly normal, perhaps slightly dry). Whatever salt you use, I’d recommend grinding it finely, i.e. to a similar consistency to table salt, because coarse grains can feel a little too exfoliating.Sugar feels slightly gentler on your skin than salt. You can use either brown or white sugar. I prefer brown, because it smells yummy, especially if you mix it with a little vanilla essential oil.Ground coffee smells divine, and the caffeine may even have some benefits for your skin. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it causes blood vessels to constrict, so it can temporarily reduce varicose veins and rosacea. Intriguingly, experiments have shown that caffeine applied to the skin of mice makes them less likely to get skin cancer... but we don’t know yet whether this works for humans.Oatmeal is the gentlest of the exfoliants. It is an emollient, meaning that it softens and hydrates your skin. People have used it for decades as an effective home remedy for dry, itchy skin. Unlike salt and sugar, you can use it with a bit of water instead of a carrier oil.Other options include almond meal, flax meal (ground linseeds), rice bran, wheat bran, and ground nut shells. I haven’t tried any of these so I can’t really comment, though I’ve heard that ground nut shells can really be quite scratchy against your skin. (If you’d like to share your experience with any of these exfoliants, then get in touch .)I have used sugar, almond meal and ground nut shells before in my homemade body scrubs. You probably know what the sugar feels like, but the almond meal is really nice- suggest you try it! It’s kind of soft, and it’s scrubby, and it leaves my skin nice and soft. Only problem is that it doesn’t dissolve in water so I always end up with a ring around my tub or on the floor of my shower. The ground nut shells were not a pleasant experience, to be honestly honest. It was too exfoliating for my skin and left it raw and sore. Although, it is pretty good for feet!~ Lucia

2. A Carrier OilAlso called a base oil, the oil in a homemade body scrub holds the mixture together, and moisturises your skin. Most body scrub recipes use about 1/3 cup of oil for each cup of exfoliant. There are many carrier oils to choose from. Unless your skin is very dry, I’d recommend choosing an oil with a fairly thin consistency so that it will wash off easily and won’t leave your skin feeling too greasy. Some popular options areSunflower oil has a very faint odour, thin consistency, and penetrates well without leaving much of a residue. It is also one of the most affordable oils and has a shelf life of about 12 months. It is used in several commercially available body scrubs, including some manufactured by “Body Shop”, “Nourish”, and “Jason Natural”.Sweet Almond Oilhas a slightly sweet and nutty aroma, medium consistency, and absorbs fairly quickly. Shelf life is about 12 months.Grape Seed Oilhas a faint sweet odour, is very thin, and leaves a thin film on the skin. It has a shelf life of 6-12 months.Hazelnut Oilhas a sweet nutty odour, is quite thin, and leaves a film on the skin. Shelf life is about 12 months.Kukui (Candle Nut) Oilhas a light, sweet, nutty odour, a thin consistency, and absorbs well. Shelf life is about 12 months.Macadamia Nut Oilhas a nutty odour, thick consistency, and leaves a an oily film on your skin. Recommended for dry skin. Shelf life is about 12 months.It goes without saying, but don’t use a nut oil if you have a nut allergy!

Have a go and experiment with your own combinations. But avoid getting undiluted essential oil on your skin - it is very concentrated and can cause irritation. For sensitive skin, avoid the following oils: basil, cinnamon, clove, lemon, lemongrass, tea-tree, thyme, citrus. Citrus oils in particular can cause sensitivity to sunlight.

Now that you know the basic ingredients, you can make up your own recipes for homemade body scrubs! But first, here are some starter recipes for you...

In a glass or ceramic bowl, add essential oil to sugar and stir thoroughly. Add almond oil gradually, stirring continuously. Stop when the scrub reaches the consistence of moist sand. Once you’ve made this one, try out some other essential oil combinations !

In a glass or ceramic bowl, add essential oil to salt and stir thoroughly. Add almond oil gradually, stirring continuously. Stop when the scrub reaches the consistence of moist sand. Once you’ve made this one, go ahead and try out some other essential oil combinations !Warning: Don’t use a salt scrub immediately after shaving your legs - it will sting! Instead, use the scrub before shaving. The oils left on your skin will lubricate the blade and make shaving smoother."Visit https://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/homemade-body-scrub.html for more recipes